NEW YORK CITY ? Vice President Dick Cheney on Thursday defended the Bush administration’s domestic surveillance program, saying it is an essential tool in monitoring al-Qaida and other terrorist organizations.

But Cheney stressed that the program was limited and conducted in a way that safeguarded civil liberties.

“Our message to the American people is clear and straightforward: These actions are within the president’s authority and responsibility under the Constitution and laws, and these actions are vital to our security,” Cheney said at the Manhattan Institute, a conservative think tank.

Four Democrats, in a letter to the vice president, asked that the administration consult with all members of the House and Senate intelligence committees on the program.